42

by M. Thomas Cooper

Set in Portland, Oregon, 42 follows George Olson as his life is thrown into chaos and his mind into a possible state of psychosis. On the 42nd day of his 42nd year, Georges wife and daughter disappear, his cat and dog run away, and his house burns down. When he is accused of murdering his wife and child, George sets off in search of his family, only to be caught up in a conspiracy of numbers and strange events. The number 42 becomes the meaning of Georges life. But does the conspiracy really exist or is it the product of a paranoid mind?

Genres: Fiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Malakeo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The books starts off so great, edgy, bizarre, interesting prose, with pending suspense. But then halfway thru, you end up in a psuedo-fantasy world centering around the obsession with numerology. I was very disappointed for the setup in the first half was great and kept me wondering "how is this going resolve itself" but instead I felt like I was reading a retread (Pi) or a completely separate novel.
In the end, the numerology (42) didn't even really resolve itself, it just sort of ends.
Kudos should be given for the prose, the printing (text literally falling off or fading on the page)and the core story line but unfortunately the end was a dud.

[Kerfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator is well along into his alternate universe when he overhears a conversation about "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and grasps at "the answer to life the universe and everything"--42. His circuitous retreat from reality becomes focused on numbers and number patterns as a way to regain all that has disappeared--including his own identity: "Hopefully some pattern will be discernable."

What happened to his wife and daughter? What about the dog and cat? Is he a passive victim or a monster with amnesia? Where does his guilt end? or start? all is uncertain and unclear.

His world shrinks until it contains only his continuously recycled inner dialogue and his numericanl search for what he has lost.

I'm still undecided about the Epilogue--in some ways it detracts, in some ways it adds. What it doesn't do is give "the answer"--truth, lies, neither, both?--to the narrator's story. It doesn't make any sense, but it could be true. Or it could just be a story.

But you think this stuff only happens in book? Maybe that's the best we can hope for as an explantion to lives carried forward on waves of circumstances beyond our control. "42" sums it up just about as well as anything else.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book –the story of a man who’s entire sense of self begins to crumble when his wife and child become the first of many things he loses – starts playing out as what I imagine would happen if a normal human being was presented with the surreal kind of loss of a Murakami protagonist (who, not coincidentally, was referenced in the note left by his wife). The answer is not pretty, though intriguing. Sadly, the book then shifts drastically about halfway through, when, somewhat inexplicably, an overheard conversation leads our narrator down a number-drive schizophrenic spiral through the end of the book. While not un-enjoyable, I found this second half to be a little heavy handed and abrupt from the first half, the numerology aspect out of place or irrelevant, and the conclusion a little self-congratulatory. To be fair, I might be giving myself a pat on the back, too, after pulling that chaos to a close. If you’re willing to stick with it, you can probably find some things worth walking away with as some passages – even in the second half – do really stand out. If nothing else, it gives you a good dose of the uneasiness that coincides with becoming disconnected and/or losing one’s place in life. Would definitely give the author a second shot, interested in reading his plays.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great exploration of insane narration! I was thoroughly entertained by this book and the author's skill at guiding readers in a world seen through the eyes of a man struggling to make sense of nonsense.

I recommend this book to readers open nontraditional narration styles.

[KR · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very different book about a man who loses his family and slips into paranoia from trying to look for them and not being able to stand up to his own fears. I recommend this book if you're looking for something different and are interested in the psychological development of characters.

[Kathy Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of the movie the number 23.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok... nothing stellar... not a total waste of time. Not much more than fluff, though.

[Tina]

There was an ending . . . but I walked away from it feeling hollow. I had a lot of unanswered questions. I suppose they didn't really need to be answered, but I would have liked it.

[Gabriel Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

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